More than a Mosaic
by suburbs
Summary: Macy gets a nice surprise while contemplating her JONAS-less summer. JONAS. Kevin/Macy
1. More than a Mosaic

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: I have two more weeks before I head off for a three-week internet break. I thought I'd try one more chaptered story before I left._

_Dedication: To MissNata13, Loved-Invention, and __faerietaleredux, who were all nice enough to ask if I was writing anything. And I wasn't, but that made me want to._

Most teenagers couldn't wait for summer, but not Macy Misa. She was dreading her virtually JONAS-free summer plans. Sure she had her JONAS posters, pop-up, mosaic, fansite, CDs, DVDs, magazines, books, and the pieces of clothing she had snuck out of Stella's house, but none of that could compare to seeing the Lucas brothers at school every day and sort of being friends with them. It was the 'sort of' that was the problem. Sure, they talked to her in the hallway and occasionally ate lunch with her, but they'd never really hung out outside of school; she certainly couldn't expect them to keep in touch now that they were off on their summer tour.

Their amazing ten-week summer tour where they would have much more exciting things to think about than their weird, accident-prone, almost friend.

The one bright spot in her summer (besides her mosaic which looked awesome once she grouted it - it left Stella speechless) was the fact that she had finally convinced her parents to let her visit her grandmother at the same time JONAS was playing nearby. So at least she could spend one night in their presence. It wasn't as good as hanging out at school, but it would have to do.

Cause a little JONAS was better than no JONAS at all.

At least, that's what she told herself.

In the meantime, she was going to be a counselor at a sports summer camp which should keep her busy. Sports were good. Sports were familiar. Sports weren't sitting around moping about JONAS. Stella kept insisting that what Macy needed was to have a summer romance with a cute, athletic guy from camp. But honestly, once you'd seen Kevin's smile or Joe's smirk or Nick's eyes up close, every other guy just sort of paled in comparison. Or at least that's what Macy thought.

But who knows, maybe she'd get lucky and there would be some amazing guy at camp who would sweep her off her feet. She supposed stranger things had happened.

She sighed and settled back onto her JONAS pillow. Camp didn't start for a few more days, and Stella had headed off with the guys for the first few shows to make sure their concert wardrobe was "flawless", which was Stella for "I'm using my job as an excuse to be near Joe for as long as I can".

Thinking of Stella made her sigh again; her best friend was the luckiest girl on the planet. The luckiest thing that was likely to happen to Macy would be Stella sending her an e-mail. Or a photo of last night's concert. Or a photo of the guys changing for last night's concert…

She shook her head, aware that her last thought was wrong on so many levels. But she figured she might as well check her e-mail anyway. Logging on, she was excited to see that she had fourteen new messages.

Less excited when she realized that most of them were junk mail.

And none of them were from Stella.

One unfamiliar address with the subject line "Hello from the Road" caught her attention, though. She hesitated for a moment before clicking.

_Hi Macy!_

_Hope you don't mind, but I got your e-mail address from Stella. I thought it might be fun to keep in touch while we're gone._

_Your Friend,_

_Kevin_

Her last conscious thought before she fainted was that maybe this wouldn't be such a bad summer after all.

Macy woke up several minutes later a little confused as to why she was on the ground, wondering what had made her head hurt so much. It took awhile for her to remember the e-mail and to figure out she had banged her temple on her desk when she passed out. Wincing, she held an ice pack to her forehead as she reread the message.

She wanted to wait a little while before responding so that she wouldn't appear too eager, although she didn't know who she thought she was fooling. Kevin had to know that getting his e-mail would be really exciting for her. In fact, Stella probably coaxed the poor guy into sending it to her by telling him that it would be the highlight of Macy's entire summer. The sad thing was that it probably would be.

Unless she managed to make that JONAS stained glass window she had designed the other day. But that seemed unlikely. Her mom had a problem with Macy and a soldering iron. Or Macy and a glass cutter for that matter, which was totally unwarranted because she came out of the mosaic completely unscathed.

Macy wondered if the seven minutes she was unconscious and the four minutes it took to get the ice pack and the twelve minutes she spent on the internet looking up how to make a stained glass window was a long enough wait. It would probably take her an hour to figure out what to write. Plus, he sent the e-mail nineteen minutes before she read it. Would an hour and forty-two minutes look clingy and desperate?

Probably.

Would he even notice when she sent the thing?

Doubtful.

_Dear Kevin,_

_Of course I don't mind! How is the tour going? I bet it's amazing. I haven't actually done anything this summer yet. Camp doesn't start up until next week, and it is sort of lonely here without Stella. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really miss school already._

_Macy_

Apparently she was being optimistic with her time estimate. It actually took her two and a half hours to write back, which meant she averaged a sentence every 25 minutes. And it was the most mind-numbingly dull e-mail ever written. But it was friendly and calm and non-stalkerish, so she pushed send.

And never expected a response.

Boy was she in for a surprise.


	2. Running When Chased

_Disclaimer: I don't own JONAS._

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted. I apologize for the end – I wanted to get you something before I went out of town for the weekend and was in a HURRY. Hope you enjoy it anyway._

Macy didn't expect to hear from Kevin again. She figured the message was probably a spur of the moment, one-time thing (or a forced-by-Stella thing), but either way, it had been incredibly sweet of him. Heading to bed without even checked her e-mail, she drifted off to sleep with a sore head and a happy heart.

When she logged on that morning, she was shocked to find another message from him waiting for her.

Based on the time stamp, he'd sent it last night after their concert. Almost like he had rushed off stage and written to her. But that couldn't be right. Shaking her head, she hesitated before reaching out to open the message; this time, she needed to be prepared. Her head still hurt, and she was pretty sure another bump like the last one would send her to the hospital. She made sure she was securely in her desk chair before proceeding to take several deep, cleansing breathes. Once she was calm, she opened the message.

As her eyes scanned the words on her screen, she broke into a smile so wide it almost hurt.

_Hi Macy –_

_Awesome! Well, not awesome that you're bored and lonely, but awesome that you want to be my summer pen pal. Or, computer pal. Whatever. You know what I mean, right? _

_And, don't worry – we'll send Stella back to you soon. She and Joe are driving us crazy! Nick is seriously considering locking them in one of the dressing rooms until they just admit that they like each other. Who do they think they're kidding? _

_What are you up to? We just finished playing a concert, which was amazing. I was a little nervous since I broke a guitar string during the sound check (which is totally bad luck), but it all went great. The fans were really into it._

_Talk to you soon!_

_Kevin_

Macy's smile turned into a frown as she realized she had nothing to write to him about. Camp was still five days away, and her big plans for the morning included updating her JONAS website and staring morosely at her posters of the Lucas brothers - not exactly e-mail worthy. She could picture it now, "Hi Kevin! Thanks for writing. I'm going to sit around writing a blog about how cool you are and stare at pictures of you and your brothers all day."

Even she thought that sounded creepy.

Great. She was going to have to get a new hobby in order to communicate with her existing hobby.

And how exactly was she going to come up with a new hobby that quickly? Her eyes scanned the room and fell on a flyer for a fun run that her mother had handed her a few weeks ago. That would work – it was that weekend, and if she signed up today she should still be able to participate. Going on-line, she registered for her brand new, Kevin-appropriate activity for the week. And there was even the added bonus that it would help get her ready for camp.

Glancing at the clock, she hoped that it took her less time to write her response than it had the night before because even though she was in really good shape, she should probably go for a run today to get ready for the 10 k. And the later in the day she went, the hotter it was going to be out.

On the plus side, if she got heat stroke, at least she would have something to talk about if he wrote back.

_Hi Kevin –_

_I'm so glad that your concert went well despite the foreboding string omen. I'm sure everyone watching had a great time; I have been to a few of your concerts and they're amazing._

_I would be willing to be Stella-less for a little longer if that meant Nick got to put his dressing room plan into action. Partly because I want my friend to be happy and partly because watching them is so painful._ _Seriously! Even the cafeteria lady asked me when they were finally going to 'just kiss already'. And we never even eat in the cafeteria!_

_I am still waiting for camp to start up. In the meantime, I'm going to run in a 10k to raise money for …_

Macy had to pick up the flyer to check which organization was sponsoring the run, praying that it was something interesting, or at least not embarrassing. She hadn't really paid attention in her rush to respond to Kevin.

Score!

… _the SPCA. I'll probably go jogging a few times this week to warm-up before the race. I'll let you know how it goes._

_Your Pen Pal,_

_Macy_

Glancing at her JONAS clock on the wall, Macy was excited to see that it had only taken her 45 minutes. That was down to approximately 4 minutes a sentence, which was a massive improvement. Plus, she didn't faint. All and all an excellent start to the day. She hit send and practically floated downstairs to grab some breakfast.

Thirty minutes later she was back in her room pulling on her running shoes when her computer beeped to let her know she had a new message. She almost headed out the door without checking, but she still hadn't heard from Stella.

Gazing at her screen in disbelief, she tried to process the fact that Kevin had already replied. Touring must be less interesting than she's imagined. She flopped down into her chair and opened the message.

_Macy –_

_Wow! That's great. Outside of PE, I don't think I've ever run without being chased. Fear of being attacked is a good motivator, though. Maybe when I get back we can go for a jog of something. Or maybe just a brisk walk. _

_Gotta run (ha, ha) – we have an interview in a few minutes._

_Have a great day!_

_Kevin_

She had to remind herself to start breathing again. Kevin Lucas of JONAS wanted to do something with her. In a few months, but still; he wanted to spend time with her.

How on earth was she supposed to respond to that?

Cause she was pretty sure her first thought, "Run, jog, walk, crawl – whatever you want, I'm there" was inappropriate… possibly restraining order inappropriate. She tried to think of what she would say if a normal guy who wasn't in her favorite band had written that to her. That might work; she just had to pretend it wasn't Kevin of JONAS.

_Kevin –_

_By the time you get, I should be getting plenty of running in at school between PE and volleyball practice, so a brisk walk sounds great. Or even a leisurely stroll. Hope your interview went well!_

_Off to actually run…_

_Macy_

Grabbing her ipod and headphones, Macy headed out the door of her room aware that if it had been any guy other than Kevin responding that fast, she would almost think he liked her or something.

The absurdity of that thought made her giggle.


	3. Secret Agent Man

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: Maybe it is because it is 1 am, but this chapter feels off. She should be heading to the concert soon._

Macy thought she showed amazing self-restraint in waiting until she had at least showered before checking for a message from Kevin, and she tried to tell herself it was ridiculous to be disappointed when there wasn't one waiting for her. He was a very busy guy. After all, she knew he had an interview in the morning and another concert tonight; it was absurd to expect him to have time to reply to her silly little e-mail.

Or apparently not so absurd because a new message alert popped up while she was in the middle of writing Stella a harassing note because her supposed best friend still hadn't sent her a single e-mail or text.

_Macy –_

_Hope you had a nice run. I think your idea of a leisurely stroll sounds perfect, and I'm planning on holding you to it._

She smiled at the idea of taking a walk with him. Maybe they could go to the duck pond where her grandfather used to take her when she was a kid. Somehow, Kevin seemed like the kind of guy who would like to feed the ducks. Of course, Macy knew it was all pretend – by the time he got back from tour, he would probably have forgotten all about the idea of doing something with her. But the thought was still nice.

_The interview was great! For once, they sent us a young, pretty reporter…_

Macy frowned, vaguely aware of an empty feeling in her stomach. She dismissed it, figuring she needed to grab a snack when she was done reading the e-mail.

… _who spent the entire time flirting with Joe. It was hilarious! And of course you know Joe, he totally ate it up. Stella stood there off camera glaring the entire time, which I know doesn't sound great but trust me it was cause as soon as the interview was done the lady made some comment about our little friend being upset, and Joe went all protective. He slung his arm around Stella's shoulder and introduced her as his best friend and our brilliant stylist. Stella snuggled up to him and smirked at the interviewer who looked ready to kill her. I wish you could have seen it. And now they keep standing really close to each other. Stella and Joe, not Stella and the interviewer. _

_Anyway, Nick thinks that maybe this would be a good time to lock them up together since they seem less clueless than usual. What do you think?_

_Kevin_

Macy's eyes went wide; those idiots were about to ruin everything! Without thinking she immediately hit reply and started typing.

_Abort! _

_Repeat Abort!_

_Do not lock them up together! If they're getting along, just leave them alone. If you lock them up, Stella will spend the entire time being mad at you two and totally forget about Joe. And Joe will make fun of her, which will make her even madder. Then she'll hit him with something._

She hit send without even signing her name, petrified that maybe she would be too late to stop them. It had never occurred to her that Nick might actually be serious about the dressing room idea; that was just the sort of thing people joked about doing. No one actually carried through on those things. Except the Lucas brothers might be crazy enough to try it. And Stella would flip!

Macy paced around her room, mumbling to herself while she waited to hear back from Kevin. She considered calling Stella, but if she had been too late, she didn't want to deal with the wrath of the caged stylist. Then to her immense relief, she saw a window pop up to let her know she had a new message.

_To: Macy Misa_

_From: Kevin Lucas - dashing, handsome, talent, super-secret agent_

_Mission has been aborted thanks to your intel. Will watch the subjects and report any changes in status or suspicious behavior._

_Over and out._

Macy felt almost giddy with relief. Giggling, she typed,

_Dashing, Handsome and Talented Agent Lucas –_

_How come I didn't get a cumbersome, overly descriptive title? I'm hurt._

_Agent Misa_

As soon as she hit send, she wished she could take it back. It sounded like she was either flirting or fishing for compliments, and Kevin was such a gentleman that she knew he'd feel like he had to write something kind back.

How awkward.

She didn't know if she should shut off her computer and walk away or wait to see what he said. As she sat frozen at her desk, another message arrived. She held her breath as she opened it.

_Brilliant, Athletic, Adorable Agent Misa –_

_Can you ever forgive me?_

_Agent Lucas_

Macy blushed as she let out her breath, both pleased and embarrassed. It was sweet of him to call her adorable, but somehow it felt tainted since she had essentially begged him to say something nice about her. She sat thoughtfully at her desk for a few minutes before finally turning off her computer. She needed to take a break before she did anything stupid. Maybe it was time to enforce a mandatory waiting period before replying to Kevin's e-mails. That should help keep her fangirl side in check and allow her to think things through before she typed. Besides, he had to have better things to do than sit around sending goofy secret agent messages to her.

After dinner, she watched television with her parents before heading back up to her room. She was surprised to find three messages from Kevin in her inbox.

_Agent Misa –_

_Have you been captured by the enemy?_

_Agent Lucas_

She smiled. Typical Kevin.

_Macy –_

_Where are you? I'm stuck on the tour bus with Stella and Joe, and they won't talk to me because they're too busy staring into each other's eyes. I still thinking locking them up is a good idea, but I guess I'll trust you._

_Kevin_

The last message filled her with guilt.

_Hey Macy –_

_According to Stella puppies and babies are adorable, not girls. You aren't upset, though, are you? Please write me back._

_Kevin_

Macy rolled her eyes, wondering why Stella had to make everything so complicated. Like any girl on the planet would actually mind Kevin Lucas calling them adorable. But she felt really bad that she had made Kevin worry.

_Kevin –_

_Feel free to call me adorable any time. I thought it was sweet. Honest. And I promise I wasn't mad._

_How was the concert tonight? I wish I could have been there. It was probably lots more exciting that watching reruns with my parents. _

_I'm heading to bed now. Hope you have sweet dreams!_

_Macy_

She really hoped he got the message before he went to sleep. She would hate for him to end the day worried about her.

He really was the sweetest guy she knew.


	4. Koalas and Golf Clubs

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: Another rushed chapter. Will have to jump ahead soon because otherwise it will take me 10 weeks to write the thing, and I only have one._

_Dedication: To Fabled Diamond._

Macy would normally have pulled the covers over her head and gone back to sleep. After all, it was seven o'clock in the morning during summer vacation and she had no plans, so why get up? But as she rolled over, her bleary eyes took in a glimpse of Kevin on one of the JONAS posters, and she shot up.

Maybe he had written her back!

_Morning Sunshine! (That's what my mom always said when she woke us up.)_

Macy let out a tiny squeak and tried not to picture Kevin sitting on the edge of her bed, whispering that into her ear. She couldn't imagine a better way of waking up; except maybe if he pulled a Sleeping Beauty. She gulped, her heart pounding.

Did girls ever need to take cold showers?

Shaking her head, she went back to the e-mail.

_I'm glad you're not upset with me. I didn't think you were, but I'm not always the most perceptive person on the planet, so I wanted to be sure._

Macy frowned; she was not going to let him get away with putting himself down like that.

_I'm so excited! We have a day off today, and we're going golfing. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to drive the cart. Nick used to hog the driver's seat, but now that he can drive a real car, the rest of us might stand a chance._

_Oh, you should totally go golfing today! Then it would almost be like we're doing something together._

_Kevin_

_P.S. Did you know that koalas aren't really bears? I feel so betrayed. Figures those emo, eucalyptus-lovers would pull something like this._

Macy giggled. Sometimes she wasn't sure if Kevin was serious or trying to be funny, but either way there he made her happy.

_Morning Kevin –_

_Hope you had a good night's rest. _

_First off, you are an extremely perceptive, wonderful person. I will not let anyone put you down, so consider yourself warned! Insult Kevin Lucas and face the wrath of Macy. I may be small, but I pack a mean punch._

She hesitated and thought about deleting that entire section. Was it too forward? Did she come off as too flirty? She knew it was a little much, but she was tired of everyone making fun of him. Sure, he said some goofy things sometimes, but he was the sweetest guy in the world.

Maybe she should just finish the message and come back to that part.

_I hope you have a great time golfing and get to drive the cart. I'll grab my clubs out of the garage and head over to the course today. But I warn you, I was varsity captain last year, so I'll probably destroy you. I'm not going easy on you just cause you're a member of my favorite band. No mercy on the field of competition, Lucas._

Rereading her message, Macy realized that so far she had threatened him with bodily harm and trash talked about her golfing skills. While not her usual e-mail, she thought he would probably like it. But maybe she should throw in something a little less aggressive.

_I wouldn't let the poor koalas get to you. Maybe the reason they're so emo is because they're as upset about the bear thing as you are – like their marsupialness isn't enough for the world. Blame the people who named them, not the koalas themselves._

_Have a great day off!_

_Macy_

The entire e-mail was odd, but it was her – the non-fangirl her. She figured maybe it was time to let go of always worrying around Kevin and just let him see the real Macy so she hit send and started to get ready. She had eighteen holes of golf to get through.

She arrived home late in the day, sweaty but happy. Apparently her opponent didn't even need to be present to bring out her competitiveness. She scored two shots below her last round of the season. Hoping in the shower, she couldn't help but think that the game would have been more fun if Kevin had actually been there. She had a pretty good imagination, especially when it came to JONAS, but it just wasn't the same.

_Super Macy –_

_For the record, I have no problem being beaten by a girl at sports. In fact, I totally expect you to annihilate me – because you're just that awesome at sports. And awesome in general. So awesome that you won't make me tell you my golf score. I already lost to both Nick and Joe, so it's safe to say you beat me. Apparently I also lost to Stella who never picked up a club because she said she had the best outfit. So I think my ego's taken enough hits for one day._

Macy rolled her eyes as she read about her best friend. Stella really was something.

_Speaking of Stella, I think there was some movement today. While she was waiting for us outside the locker room after we finished up, some college guy started hitting on her. When Joe went all goofy protective on her, she got really mad. She told him unless he had something to ask her, he'd better stay out of her personal life and then flounced away leaving him stammering that he didn't know what she was talking about. It was great – like something straight out of a chick flick. Now he's brooding and she's pouting, which is less great._

_Off to play video games with Nick!_

_Kevin_

Macy reread his e-mail three times before deciding that he needed a pick-me-up. And she was just the super-fan, pen pal for the job. Her favorite member of JONAS sounded down, and if she had to sacrifice her own dignity to the cause, so be it.

_To: Kevin Lucas_

_From: Macy Misa_

_Did you know that Kevin Lucas has the best power slide ever? And that his guitar spins are epic? And listening to one of his solos is enough to make girls go weak in the knees? And that there is no possible way that Stella looked better on the golf course than he did? And that he is by far my favorite member of JONAS and the best pen pal ever?_

_Just thought you should know._

"And I totally have a crush on you," Macy muttered to herself as she hit send, knowing there was no way she would ever tell him that.


	5. Silent Airwaves

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: Special thanks to Loved-Invention for looking this over for me. I had to condense the angst and misunderstanding down into one chapter. Maybe I can use all the ideas that didn't make it in for another story. _

Macy was excited when Kevin responded so quickly, but her excitement soon changed to confusion as she read what he wrote.

_Macy –_

_Thanks._

_Kevin_

She frowned. It was so short and didn't sound like him at all, but he was probably just really busy and would send her another message later. At least that's what she kept telling herself for the next twenty-four hours. Then she decided that maybe since he sent the last note (even though she thought it really shouldn't count) he expected her to write next.

She didn't want to come off as clingy or needed, so she tried to keep it light. She certainly didn't want him to know that she had been hovering around the computer waiting for him to send her another e-mail.

_Hi Kevin –_

_How is the tour going? Did you enjoy your day off? I'm sure you are crazy busy. I'm running in that race tomorrow and then camp starts on Monday. I'm looking forward to having something to do._

_Your friend,_

_Macy_

When she got home from the race the next afternoon and there was still no message from Kevin, she felt her eyes prickling and had to bite her lip to keep from crying. What on earth had she done to make him ignore her? It seemed so out of character for him. She tried to come up with some alternate explanation.

Maybe he was hurt.

That couldn't be it; an injured JONAS would be headline news.

Maybe he was just somewhere without a signal and couldn't write to her.

She pulled up the concert schedule, noting that they were currently in Seattle. She was pretty sure that Seattle had internet.

Maybe he just didn't want to talk to her.

As much as that option hurt, it seemed to be the most likely. And it did really hurt. Not even looking at her JONAS mosaic made it any better. She had only been exchanging messages with him for a few days, but in those few days he had become really important to her. Not just because he was Kevin of JONAS but because he was her friend. What was worse, she had no one to talk to. Sniffling, she opened a new message and began to type.

_Stella –_

_Where are you? Why haven't you called or written? When are you coming home?_

_I'm lonely and depressed and everything is going wrong and I need a friend. I think Kevin is mad at me, and I have no idea why. I don't even know if I want to go to the concert anymore._

_Macy_

By the time she hit send, tears were freely running down her face. She threw herself onto her bed and sobbed into her JONAS pillow. How had everything gone from wonderful to awful so quickly? She eventually cried herself to sleep.

When she woke up it was pitch black out and she had a message from Stella.

_Macy –_

_I'm so sorry! I got caught up in my non-relationship with Joe and have been an abysmally bad friend. Please forgive me! I'll even wear that hideous gold hat from Joe's Queen ensemble as penitence. _

_I wish I could call you, but there is no privacy here on the bus and I didn't think you wanted the guys to hear. And they're very nosy. Seriously, they have major boundary issues. _

_Don't take it personally, Mace. Kevin has been really moody for the past few days. He's snapping at everyone and being very un-Kevinish. I'm sure he'll get over it and everything will be fine._

_And you have to come to the concert! I was going to surprise you with VIP seats and backstage passes. It's all planned. And you've seen them play on every tour they've ever done. You can't miss it._

_I should be home in a week or so._

_Your Horrible Best Friend,_

_Stella_

Macy gave a small smile as she read her best friend's note. Stella was crazy, but it was good to hear from her. Maybe things wouldn't seem so bleak with her around.

Rereading her friend's e-mail, Macy realized that the more she thought about going to the concert, the more depressed she felt. What would be the point? Seeing Kevin now would just be upsetting. It hurt that as soon as she started to show the real, non-fangirl Macy he stopped wanting to talk to her. Nothing, not even a JONAS concert, was going to make that seem okay.

_Stella –_

_Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I know it sounds crazy, but the concert just doesn't seem important anymore. Even JONAS doesn't seem important. I just really miss my friend Kevin._

_Macy_

Sighing, she realized she needed to go get something to eat and try to get some sleep because she had to be up bright and early for camp the next morning. While she was no longer feeling excited at the prospect of her summer job, at least it would be a distraction. And it had to be better than sitting in her room crying over a boy. Just as she was working up the energy to go downstairs, a new message alert popped up on her screen.

From him.

Her fingers trembled a little as she reached towards her mouse.

_Macy –_

_I'm so sorry I didn't write back. I was being an idiot. I promise, I'm not mad at you. Please say you'll still come to the concert._

_Kevin_

She started to cry again, this time with relief. She was pretty sure Stella had had something to do with it, but she didn't even care. He wasn't mad at her. Or if he had been, he wasn't anymore. And either way, everything was okay because he was talking to her.

_Kevin –_

_Remember, you're not allowed to insult yourself. You're not an idiot. _

_Macy_

She knew it was a stupid e-mail. She wanted to ask what had happened, but somehow she knew that he wasn't ready to talk about it. And she wanted things to go back to normal.

He wrote back immediately.

_Macy –_

_Even a rock star like me can be an idiot just like any other average, normal guy. I'm really sorry I made you upset. You're still coming, aren't you?_

_Kevin_

Sometimes she wondered if he understood how amazing he really was. No other guy would have encouraged her to sing, even when the sound of her voice rendered him unconscious. Or risk a crowd of crazed fangirls to rescue her. Or wear that horrible floral sweater to avoid hurting Stella's feelings. Plus, he was gorgeous and funny and talented.

And all of a sudden it really hit her that none of those things had anything to do with JONAS.

_Kevin –_

_Of course I'm coming. And you aren't like every other guy. Even without JONAS, there would be nothing average about you._

_Macy_


	6. Tassels and Tacit Agreements

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: JONAS may not have a real section, but it does have amazing reviewers. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Usually I try to respond to all reviews, but I wanted to finish this story in the next few days so I wrote instead. I apologize to anyone I haven't gotten back to. On the plus side, since a few of you asked why Kevin was moody, I ended up adding this extra chapter. Hope you like it. The concert should be next._

Macy was so glad that camp had started because it gave her something to talk with Kevin about; something other than the proverbial elephant in the room – why he had stopped writing her back for those few days. He had apologized profusely, but never offered any sort of explanation. And at first she was so happy to have things back to normal, she didn't push.

_Hi Kevin –_

_Have I told you how ecstatic I am to have Stella back home? I know you and Nick were disappointed that Operation Dressing Room never happened, but those two have been in denial for years now so a few more weeks won't hurt them. And I promise that if they don't fess up by the end of the summer, I'll lock them in a closet myself._

_Remember that little girl I was telling you about? The one who closed her eyes every time she was at bat? She had her first hit today. I might have promised her a signed JONAS poster if she kept her eyes open. Stella said she thought you had a pile of those over in the firehouse somewhere. Do you think you could tell her where they are? And I won't do it again. If I had one myself, I'd give it to her, I swear._

_Macy_

She hoped that he wouldn't be upset with her, but the girl had been crying and it was the only bribe she could think of. Probably because Macy had Kevin on the brain; everything she saw reminded her of him. And it had come out of her mouth before she thought it through.

_Macy –_

_No problem. Tell me her name, and we'll personalize one for her. And how does out Number One Super Fan not have an autographed poster? _

_Kevin_

Grinning, she immediately wrote him back.

_Kevin –_

_Have I ever told you that you are the sweetest rock star in the world? Her name is Kelly. And the humiliating truth is that every time I made it near the front of the line at one of your meet and greets, I would faint. And Stella said I couldn't have one until I managed to remain conscious around you. I believe she called it tough love. I won't repeat what I called it because a lady shouldn't use that sort of language._

_Macy_

Macy couldn't stop smiling when an overnight package arrived with two personalized JONAS posters. One of them had a note from Kevin that read,

_Macy – _

_I think you've earned this. Can't wait to see you (hopefully upright and conscious) at the meet and greet after the concert._

_Kevin_

And he had enclosed the VIP tickets and backstage passes Stella had mentioned. She literally pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming; she couldn't wait for the concert so she could see him in person. The poster was nice, but it couldn't compete with the real thing.

_Macy –_

_I heard that you have a date tonight. How come you gave me a play by play of today's volleyball game but left that out?_

_Kevin_

She was going to kill Stella. There was no other way that Kevin could have heard about Josh, the counselor at camp who had asked her to the movies.

_Kevin –_

_I didn't say anything because there's nothing to tell. He asked, and I said no. I just wasn't interested._

_Macy_

As soon as she hit send, she called Stella, who knew perfectly well that Macy wasn't going on the date. What exactly was her friend up to? The blond must have known she was in trouble because she didn't answer the phone or return any of texts – even the one where Macy threatened to tell Joe that Stella slept in one of his t-shirts if she ever meddled again.

_M –_

_Not interested in dating in general or him in particular?_

_K_

That wasn't what she had expected him to say. And she was pretty sure she didn't want to spend too much time discussing her non-existent love life with her crush. That was definitely a danger zone.

_Kevin –_

_Him in particular. But there's no need to discuss my uninteresting social life. How was the last show? Is Frankie having fun? Please tell me you stopped playing hide and seek with the poor kid. I can't believe you lowered that cat walk during a concert while he was still hiding on it._

_Macy_

Fortunately he took the hint. Things were going great, except she still couldn't stop thinking about those days when he wouldn't talk to her. She would lie in bed wondering what she had done wrong; she finally decided that she just needed to ask him.

_Kevin –_

_I know we have some sort of tacit agreement to not talk about what happened those few days, but I can't stop thinking about it. Can't you tell me what happened? I hope you know I'm your friend, and you can trust me._

_Macy_

She hit send before she could change her mind, sensing that somehow it was important for her to know the truth. She just hoped he would understand; she didn't want the unknown hanging over their friendship.

_Macy –_

_First off, you're a lot smarter than I am. I had to go ask Nick what tacit meant. My first thought was the fringe stuff that hangs off of pillow corners, but that didn't make any sense. Because apparently that's a tassel, not a tacit. And my brother is a know-it-all. Next time I need help with a word I'm just going to Google it because Google isn't condescending and smug._

Macy had a sneaking suspicion that Nick was reading the message over Kevin's shoulder while he wrote.

_Okay, Nick is gone now. He kept trying to read what I was writing._

She grinned – no one knew the boys of JONAS like she did. Well, except maybe Stella and their mom. But other than that, no one else.

_Second, I do know that you are my friend, and I totally trust you. I didn't want to tell you because I thought you would be disappointed in me. And it might hurt your feelings, which I would hate. Trust me, after the singing fiasco, I never want to be responsible for making you cry again._

She shook her head; he was so clueless. Didn't he know she cried for almost 24 hours when he didn't write her back? She supposed she should be grateful that Stella had kept that part a secret; Macy knew for sure that her friend had shown him her e-mails. Normally she would have been angry at the breach of trust, but she knew Stella had her best interests at heart. Unlike the Josh thing, which she really didn't understand at all.

_But if you really want to know, I'll tell you._

_Kevin_

There was a brief moment where she considered letting him off, but it was only a second or two. She needed to know what had happened, if only to prevent it from occurring again.

_Kevin – _

_I totally appreciate that you don't want to upset me, but honestly, that has already happened - the crying and the hurt feelings, I mean. But I really value your friendship and would like to understand what went wrong so it won't happen again. I can assure you it couldn't be worse than the things I've imagined over the past few weeks._

_Macy_

She waited until right before she had to leave for camp to send it because that would prevent her from being able to pace nervously in front of the computer waiting for his response. The idea was sound in theory, but she was so distracted all day that she took a soccer ball to the face. Hopefully the swelling would go down before the concert. The good news was that his message was in her inbox when she got home from camp.

_Macy –_

_I made you cry? I'm so sorry! The worst part is that it was so stupid. I know that you were trying to cheer me up with the compliments, but for some reason I focused on the fact that all of them had to do with JONAS. And I convinced myself that you only wanted to be friends with me because I was in the band._

Macy felt like her heart was breaking for him. She knew that it had been hard for the brothers to trust anyone other than Stella, and she could hardly blame him for doubting her. She was, after all, the self-proclaimed JONAS super-fan and the only person with both a JONAS mosaic and homemade JONAS pop-up. And while she was proud of being a fan, she should have made it clear that she wanted to be his friend first and a fan second.

_But I know that's not the case. Please don't think that you don't need to prove anything to me. I know you are really my friend, and I can't wait to see you at the concert next week._

_Kevin_

She knew that somehow after the concert she needed to show him how much he meant to her… as a friend. Just as a friend.


	7. Marsupials Rock!

_Disclaimer: I do not own JONAS._

_A/N: And done! Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Normally I try and bring everything full circle, but it didn't happen as much with this one._

_I will hopefully have one more one-shot up before I leave for almost all of July. Loved Invention and Purpleangel87 have kindly offered to update the Pure Horace Mantis community while I'm on vacation, so you all shouldn't even know I'm gone._

Macy was nervous and excited and seriously contemplating killing Stella.

"Stop fussing with my hair and make-up!" She finally exclaimed as her friend tried a third shade of eye shadow. "You do know we're going to a concert, right? Where I'm going to sing and dance and scream and mess up all your hard work?"

That earned her the Stella Malone trademark glare, "You'd better not. You look perfect right now and you're going to stay that way."

Macy rolled her eyes, "That look may work with the boys, but it doesn't scare me. I'm having fun tonight."

"Having fun and looking fabulous aren't mutually exclusive, I'll have you know. I do both on a daily basis."

"Texting doesn't count," Macy chirped cheekily, earning herself another glare. "Can we go now? The doors open in a few minutes, and I don't want to miss anything!"

Sighing, Stella grabbed her huge purse and nodded.

"I love the part before the concert," Macy said grinning. "Everyone's so excited, and it's hilarious to read the signs and hear all the fans talk about the guys." Glancing around her grandmother's guest bedroom she muttered to herself, "Speaking of signs…"

"You didn't!" Her friend answered, horrified.

"Of course I did. I make great signs," she replied as she crawled on the floor on her hands and knees. "Bingo!"

She held up a huge poster with a photo of a koala that said, "Marsupials Rock!"

Stella narrowed her eyes, "I don't get it."

Shrugging, Macy replied, "No one will understand but Kevin; he'll love it."

"Whatever. Let's go." Stella looked at her friend carefully. "Wait! Freeze!"

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a lint brush and ran it over Macy's knees. "Stay off the floor, okay? Those pants show everything."

"I promise nothing!"

Macy knew the exact moment that Kevin spotted her sign. The boys were being lowered on some contraption, and she could tell he was scanning the front of the crowd. Then all of a sudden his nose wrinkled in confusion before he broke out into a huge grin. The two girls standing next to her actually sighed and insisted he was smiling at them.

But she knew that was her smile.

And Kevin played to that side of the stage the entire night. Macy knew because her eyes never left him. She was vaguely aware of Joe and Nick, but her entire focus was on the oldest Lucas brother. She was obvious enough that Stella finally poked her and joked, "You do know that there are at least two other people up on stage right? Not just Kevin?"

Without even looking at her friend, Macy replied, "Shut up. I get one night all summer with him, and I'm going to shamelessly stare if I want."

"And shamelessly flirt?"

"No! We're just friends. Now stop distracting me."

Stella's words floated through her mind after the concert as the two girls headed backstage, increasing Macy's nervousness. She wanted to flirt with Kevin, but she didn't want to at the same time. She knew that there was no way the older rock star could be interested in someone like her, but just thinking about him made her stomach do funny things.

And then she saw him coming towards her, sweaty from the concert and bouncing with energy, and she knew that she didn't want to flirt with him.

She wanted to tackle him and kiss him senseless.

Instead, she took a deep breath, smiled and slowly walked towards him. He engulfed her in a bear hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad you're here."

She hoped he didn't notice that she shivered just a bit when his breath brushed her ear. Stepping back, she looked him in the eyes and grinned, "I am too. You were amazing!"

In the background, she could hear Joe ask, "What about me? Wasn't I amazing?"

She ignored him, keeping her eyes on Kevin.

"She had no idea you were even on stage, Joe," Stella replied wryly.

Kevin didn't seem to notice his brother and stylist, instead asking, "Did you make the marsupial sign?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"That was the best sign ever!"

"Thanks," she whispered.

The two of them just stood in the middle of the dressing room staring at each other with matching smiles on their faces. Macy had no idea what was going on, but she felt like there were a million butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She could feel her cheeks turning pink and her heart pounding, but somehow she couldn't seem to look away from his eyes.

She had never noticed that there were darker brown flecks floating in his warm chocolate eyes. Or that when he stood really close to you there was a hint of green in them.

Wait.

She almost stopped breathing as she realized he was getting closer to her. She forced herself to take a deep breath.

"Macy?" His voice sounded higher than usual, and he had to clear his throat before continuing. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded, noting that he seemed nervous. She reached out to pat his hand reassuringly and was shocked when he flinched at her touch. Her eyes went wide and she took an instinctive step backwards, mumbling, "Sorry."

He seemed to realize what he had done because he grabbed her hands to stop her from walking away, "Don't apologize. You didn't do anything."

"You flinched," she said accusingly.

"It wasn't a bad flinch."

"Is there such thing as a good flinch when someone touches you?"

He gave her a shy smile. "I sort of felt a tingling – it just surprised me."

"Like static electricity?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly."

"You're not making any sense."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It almost looked like he was gathering his courage. Finally he opened his eyes and looked down at her. "It was the sort of tingling that you feel when someone you really like touches you. Goosebumps and knots in your stomach."

"Oh," she whispered, biting her lower lip and looking up at him with wide innocent eyes. It sounded like he was telling her he liked her, but that couldn't be it. She waited hoping that eventually she would understand what was happening.

Kevin's glance flickered between her eyes and her lips. He gulped before saying quickly, "Look, Macy, I know that you only think of me as a friend, but I really like you and I was wondering if maybe you would think about going out with me."

She was sure this had to be a joke or a dream. Kevin Lucas was nervous because he was trying to ask her out? She stood there frozen.

"Macy? Can you say something?" He pleaded.

The truth was, she really couldn't say anything. She was so shocked that she couldn't put together a coherent thought. So instead she stood on her toes and kissed him. He immediately let go of her hands and grabbed onto her waist, pulling her closer against him as he deepened the kiss. Running her hands up his chest, she finally wove them into his damp, curly hair.

When they broke apart, they both had giant grins on their faces.

"Is that a yes?"

Laughing, she replied, "It's definitely a yes."

And he leaned down and kissed her again.

Standing off to the side, Nick leaned over and nudged Joe. "See, it's not so hard. You just tell the girl that you like her and then kiss."

"Shut up, Nick," Joe growled. "You know it's more complicated than that."

"What's complicated?" Stella asked.

Joe shot his younger brother a pleading look, but Nick ignored him. "You and Joe."

Stella turned to the middle Lucas brother and asked almost accusingly, "Why are we complicated, Joe?"

"You know why, Stell. It's not like you're some girl I can like, like one minute and ignore the next. You're my best friend and my band's stylist. That's complicated."

Stella gave him a searching look. "If I was just some girl at school, would you ask me out?"

He looked at her incredulously, "Of course. I would have asked you out the first day of 8th grade when you wore that pink dress with the flower in your hair."

"Really?"

Joe seemed to sense the insecurity behind the question, and he reached out to cup her cheek with one hand. "Really, Stella."

She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as her blond hair fell across her face. Nick could see his brother struggling to keep himself under control. When Joe looked up at him, he gestured with his head, trying to tell him to go for it.

Nodding, Joe leaned down and gently brushed his lips across Stella's.

Smiling, Nick slipped out of the dressing room, giving his brothers a little privacy. Neither couple even noticed he was gone. They were too wrapped up in each other.


End file.
